But many don't know HOW they will accomplish their goals and that’s a problem.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Because most people do not have a solid plan for making their goals a reality, their resolution ends up by the wayside just a few weeks (or days) into the New Year.

But it does not have to be that way. I want to help you make your resolution stick and avoid carrying the same old list into 2018.

I've laid out the exact steps you need to take to accomplish all of your big goals (health and fitness or otherwise) this year.​​

How to Rock Your Resolution in 5 Simple Steps

1. Be SPECIFIC. Losing weight, getting out of debt, repairing a broken relationship, or getting closer to God are all admirable goals, but what do they look and feel like? Is it 10 pounds or 30 pounds? Will it take $5,000 or $15,000 to pay off your bills? Does repairing that broken relationship look like talking with your father once a week or once a month? And how do you plan to get closer to God - praying daily or going to church once a month? Specificity creates clarity and clarity creates focus. EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would be, "Join XYZ gym and workout 4 days a week.”

2. Make it MEASURABLE. This ties directly to point number 1 about specificity. The goal needs to be specific so that you know whether or not you achieved it. We instinctively hate accountability and this creates a strong tendency to set loose, immeasurable goals. The payoff? No one (including us) can say that we failed. But the lack of accountability does us a disservice. Just think about it...would you have studied in school if you knew there would be no quizzes or tests? Would you have busted your butt in high school if a diploma was not at stake? Probably not. The bottom line: Without accountability we typically don't give our best.

3. Ensure it’s ATTAINABLE. For a goal to be attainable, you must possess the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to achieve the goal. It's not enough to want it, you have to know how to go about getting it. Have you identified someone who already has the success you seek? Have you studied their habits and behaviors? Do you know what physical, mental and emotional sacrifices they have to make daily to be a success? Or are you just familiar with their results? Results don't just happen, they require skills, resources, and daily disciplines. Do your homework to find out how they do what they do. That's what will position you for success.

4. Remain REALISTIC. I'm going to spend a little more time on this one because in my experience this is the piece that often puts the nail in the proverbial coffin.

Yes, by definition goals should have some stretch built into them but it is super easy to go too far left. None of us is perfect so goals that require perfect performance ultimately sideline us - for days, weeks, and if we are not careful, months or years - because we can't live up to our own lofty expectations. So why create a system that requires something we know we will not do consistently and long term? Unless you plan on giving up bread, pasta, potatoes for life, how can doing it for 30 days possibly create a lifestyle? It can't and it won't. You get my point.

Secondly, in order to succeed at your chosen endeavor, it's going to require consistency. It's not enough to do it for a week or two, you've got to do it until you reach your goal and beyond. In order to be consistent you have to create a new lifestyle...in other words the changes you make have to work for YOUR life. So what worked for Michelle or Mike is irrelevant. The question is what will work for YOU? Considering your work load, family commitments, school assignments, etc. what workout schedule can YOU reasonably commit to? Set goals based on what you are willing and able to do at this time. You can always revisit later when things change.

5. Have realistic TIMING expectations. Can I let you in on a little secret? We have the uncanny ability to grossly underestimate how much time and effort it takes to accomplish our goals. It’s not that what we want to do can't be done. The timetable is often where we go wrong.

Losing 12 pounds is certainly a doable goal but the timing makes a huge difference. For example, to lose 12 pounds of fat (not water as is often the case with super low-carb diets), you need a deficit of 42,000 calories. That means you need to burn 42,000 more calories than you eat. The effort required to create that 42,000 deficit in 90 days is very different from what it takes to accomplish it in 45 days. Are you willing and able to put in the 45-day goal type of effort ? Or are you expecting 45 day results with 90-day effort?

In summary, in order to have the life we want, we have to make our goals specific and measurable, then do a reality check to ensure the goal is attainable given our current knowledge, skills, and resources (if we don't have them yet, then our resolution should be to get to get them).

​Once we have a check by those three, our goal needs to pass the sniff test - are we keeping it real with the goal itself and the timeframe in which we want to accomplish it? S.M.A.R.T. goals position us to be goal getters not just goal setters.

Do you need help getting your health and fitness goals to pass the S.M.A.R.T. test?

I'd love to hop on the phone with you and walk through the process together to develop your game plan. This is a zero-pressure call because I want to move forward if I am sure I am the best coach to help you get the results you seek. If we are not a good match, I will still be glad to help you discover what your next steps are.